Worlds Apart
by Sheytune
Summary: Steve just wants to defeat Thanos. Of course, Thanos has more than one trick up his sleeve, including the ability to manipulate both time and space.
1. Chapter 1

Steve took a gulp of air and charged at Thanos again, hoping that the rest of the gang would be a big enough distraction that he could finally get the job done. There was a flash of blue, a disorienting dizziness, and he crashed onto the asphalt of a street. The world was quiet except for a skipping chant, which broke off as the girls on the sidewalk noticed a dirty, bruised man tumble to the ground ten feet away.

He took a moment to roll onto his back and look up at the old trees that shaded the street, listening to the birds chirping and the whispers of the girls as they discussed what to do. Finally, one of the girls elected herself the leader and led the others over to him.

She took a long look at him and said, surprised, "I know who you are."

Steve pushed himself up into a sitting position, moving slowly so as not the scare the girls. "Yeah?"

"Yeah", she nodded. "My brother had your picture in his room."

"And now he doesn't?"

"The picture is still in his room, but he's just dust."

For the first time, Steve took a good look at the girls. The leader had brown hair and eyes, skinned knees, and a knee sock that had fallen to her ankle under her purple dress. She was accompanied by a tiny blonde girl in a blue dress, a girl with flyaway black curls in sneakers and a dusty white dress, and a brown-haired girl in a white blouse and red skirt. "Sorry, kid."

"Me too", the leader said. "But mom says sometimes bad things happen. We stop the things we can, but we can't stop everything bad. I'm Michelle." She held out her hand, and when he shook it she pumped it twice.

"Steve Rogers", he answered.

"Nice to meet you", she said formally. "You'd better come with me."

She turned to the girls still cowering behind her. "I'm taking him to my house. My mom will know what to do."

"Maybe we should ask my dad", offered the blonde.

"No", said Michelle. "My mom will know." She turned back to Steve and held out her hand. "Let's go."

The other girls went back to their game as Michelle led him down the street to a large brick house. They went past the old-fashioned-yet-brand-new black and white car in the driveway and around to the back door, and Michelle led the way inside, yelling "Mom!"

A middle-aged woman poked her head out of a room to the side. "Michelle! What are you hollering for for?" At the sight of Steve standing awkwardly behind the young girl, still dressed in his cowl and suit, she took a step closer. "Who is this now?"

"This is Mr. Steve Rogers," Michelle explained. She turned back quickly. "Mr. Rogers, this is Mrs. Henderson. She looks after the house and makes sure I don't get into too much trouble."

"Some days more successfully than others", Mrs. Henderson added. "Where did you find him, Michelle?"

"He fell into the middle of the street. Is Mom here?"

"She's at work", the housekeeper answered, glancing at the clock. "But she should be home shortly."

She turned to Steve. "I'm not sure why you're here, but perhaps you'd best be on your way."

"I understand, ma'am. I don't mean to be any trouble."

"Mrs. Henderson", Michelle said sternly, "Mr. Rogers needs to talk to my mom. Can you stay for dinner?", she asked, addressing Steve as if she hadn't encountered any opposition.

"Maybe I should go", Steve answered.

"You have to stay", Michelle answered, in the confident tone common to self-assured little girls. "Don't worry, remember I told you Mom will know what to do?"

"And she'll be here soon, so you'd better go wash up", Mrs. Henderson said, shooing Michelle up the stairs.

"Is there somewhere I can wash up, too?" Steve asked.

Thirty minutes later, Steve had removed his cowl, washed as best he could, and been dragged upstairs to admire both the Captain America poster in the pristine room of a boy who no longer needed it, and the chaotic jumble of toys, interesting rocks, and branches in the room of a girl who was very much alive.

When she'd given him the tour of her most precious possessions, Michelle led him back downstairs to a neat room with comfortable furniture clustered around a fireplace. Michelle casually gestured at a framed photo of a smiling family sitting on top of the piano. "That's Jimmy", she said, and Steve saw a dark-haired boy with a mischievous glint in his eye. He stopped in his tracks, taking in the entire family. "Michelle?" he asked, "what's your mom's name?"

Before he'd finished the question, the door opened.

In the eight months since she'd woken one morning to find her husband and son had crumbled to dust while they slept, Howard had failed to come up with any reasonable explanation as to why half the world seemed to have just stopped existing. Peggy had been forced to chalk it up, along with super-soldiers and mind control, to another seemingly-impossible thing.

When she walked into her drawing room to see Steve Rogers standing there, alive and well, she added another item to the list. He was a little older, a little more battered, but he smiled at her the way he used to, the way she'd forgotten he could smile.

"Hi P…"

Her daughter interrupted. "Mom, we've been _waiting _and _waiting._" Belatedly remembering her manners, she made her introductions. "This is Mr. Steve Rogers. He fell out of the sky and I knew you'd know what to do. Mr. Rogers, this is my mom."

"Yes", Peggy said, "I see that. Hello, Steve."

—

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	2. Chapter 2

Three hours later, Michelle was tucked into bed and Steve, Peggy, and Howard were crowded around a chalk board in a secret room concealed under a dry cleaner. Steve had told them everything he knew, and Howard was writing complicated equations on the board. Steve was pretty sure the equations were more to make Howard feel better than because they'd be of use against a genocidal guy with a glove full of infinity stones.

Finally, Howard stopped writing. "Well", Peggy said, "what do we do?"

"I have no idea", Howard replied. "Aliens are a little out of the my league. But nothing surprises me when I'm around you, Peggy. I'll figure it out."

That night, Steve found himself in a guest room in Howard's Manhattan residence, in a pair of borrowed pyjamas provided a helpful Mr. Jarvis. He wasn't sure what to make of his bizarre day. How were the avengers doing without him? How had he ended up here, so close to Peggy's house? How could he get back to join the fight?

Living his life in this time wouldn't be a hardship, if it came to that. If it hadn't been that he'd bought his happiness with the grief of so many others – including Peggy – he'd even be happy to be there.

* * *

A month later, Howard admitted defeat, and Steve started a job at SHIELD. It wasn't much, but it gave him the means to rent a room on his own. He often interacted with Peggy and Howard at work, but he was also beginning to get to know the other agents. It wasn't the same sort of camaraderie he'd had with the other avengers, but it was good to be part of a team.

A month after he started at SHIELD, Steve asked Peggy to dinner. She said no.

A day later, she gave herself a stern talking to and asked him to dinner.

It went well. She was just as brave as the girl he remembered, but her fearlessness had morphed into careful risk-taking, and the responsibility of her job had made her more compassionate, thoughtful, and strong. She was fascinating.

The first date was followed by another, and another, and soon they were talking about the future they'd once been denied. Over dinner one night, they decided they'd waited long enough, and started making plans for a small wedding. It was the perfect night. The night was clear as Steve walked Peggy back to her car, and they kissed good night under a starlit sky. She opened the door, and there was a streak of red across the sky.

Peggy drew a gun from her garter holster as the man in the metal suit landed in front of Steve. "It's ok", Steve said. "Hi, Tony."

Tony's face mask retracted. "You're a hard guy to find, Cap. We need you to help us take down Evil Papa Smurf. We have a plan. It's not a great plan, but it's the only chance we've got to bring everyone back, and we need you or it won't work. Let's go, chop chop."

Steve turned to Peggy, helplessly trying to figure out what to say. Peggy reholstered her gun, and looked at Tony. "You can bring everyone back."

"We think so. Maybe. If all the stars align and everything goes off without a hitch, yeah, we can bring them back."

Steve and Peggy shared a look. "I have to go."

She nodded. "I know. I'm coming with you."

"No." Steve and Tony spoke in unison.

"I have a stake in this, too, and I'm coming with you." She was every inch the director of SHIELD as she spoke, her voice hard and cold.

"Peggy", Steve said, "Michelle needs you."

"She needs her father and brother, too", Peggy replies. "I'm coming with you. That's an order, Captain Rogers."

* * *

The battle was brutal, the number of casualties huge. Natasha was cut down making a run for the gauntlet; Rocket was killed by one of Thanos's troops; Scott lost an arm in an accident while changing to ant size. But they prevailed – they reversed the snap, and Tony sacrificed himself to rid the world of Thanos once and for all.

When the carnage was over, the battered group gathered one last time to say goodbye. They stood on the shore of the lake, grieving for the ones they'd lost and rejoicing over the ones they'd saved.

When it was all over, they gathered around the time machine. Steve carried the infinity stones; Peggy had nothing but the knowledge that she'd done what she needed to do. Banner pressed the button, and they went spinning though time again.

It took a while, returning the stones, and when the last one was back in place, they joined hands one last time and landed on the quiet suburban street by Peggy's house.

"I guess this is goodbye", Peggy said.

"Guess so." Steve nodded at the house. "I'll wait until you get inside."

"Have a good life, Steve."

"You too, Peggy."

She nodded and turned away. He watched as she walked up the driveway. There was a sliver of light as she opened the door, and, as he pressed the button, he heard a young boy yell "Mommy!"


End file.
